A report by Loughborough University economist Dr Jon Seaton claims that the traditional Christmas Pudding could be on its way out.

Time was when almost every family would finish its Christmas dinner with a Christmas pudding possibly containing a coin or two for good luck and broken teeth.

People are choosing other desserts such as torte, panettone, gateaux or even simply ice-cream. This is possibly being led by supermarkets themselves who appear to advertise the alternatives on their websites over the traditional pudding.

A report by Tesco found that less than 50% of people in the UK eat Christmas pudding on Christmas Day.

Dr Seaton says:

“The Sainsbury’s Christmas order catalogue doesn’t even list Christmas puddings, but they do give you a free one if you spend more than £80.”

After reviewing over 350 items online, he found only Sainsbury’s had more traditional festive-themed desserts compared to other sweets, such as tarts, gateaux and cheesecakes.

“As many people are facing hardship in the UK, we need to understand that the Christmas pudding is being undermined by cheaper alternatives such as the chocolate bomb and the cheesecake or simple ice cream.”